Composite materials provide a desirable balance of qualities such as strength, volume, weight, and cost, as well as certain chemical and thermal properties. Fiber-reinforced composites typically include fibers within a polymer matrix. The strength and stiffness of the fibers compliments the characteristics of the matrix to provide material qualities which are desirable in disciplines such as aerospace, automotive, structural, sporting goods, electronics, energy generation, chemical processes, material transport, and an increasing number of consumer, industrial, and technical areas.
Fiber-reinforced composites are sometimes created by building up successive layers of fiber fabrics. The fabrics may then be assembled into a form that exactly or generally matches a particular part or according to a particular application. The fibers may be coated or infused with the matrix during the formation of the layered fabrics or after the fabric is formed into the shape of a target form.
One manner of producing the target form is by winding. Filament winding is a fabrication technique in which fibers are wound under tension onto a rotating mandrel. The fibers may pass through a resin bath prior to being applied to the mandrel or may be infused with the resin or other matrix while on the mandrel or after removal from the mandrel. The fibers may be applied at different angles, patterns, and thicknesses to impart corresponding characteristics to the part being formed.
Fiber-reinforced composites, in some applications, benefit from the introduction of an additive or filler to further stabilize and toughen the part. However, creating a stabilized composite structure using filament winding can be a challenge. Additives can be mixed into the resin bath prior to winding, but performance can be impacted by quality of mixing and the degree of dispersion. This approach does not address the toughening or stabilization of dry-fiber, filament-wound parts that are not infused until after winding is complete.